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£200,000 to help human trafficking victims in Bradford

A project to help victims of human trafficking is being set up with £200,000 of money from offenders.

The grant from the Ministry of Justice was awarded to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for West Yorkshire Mark Burns Williamson, and will go towards the West Yorkshire Anti Trafficking Network.

The group is being set up in partnership with Hope for Justice, an anti-human trafficking organisation, and will bring together agencies including West Yorkshire Police to ensure a co-ordinated approach to helping victims of trafficking. It will also pay for Hope for Justice to raise awareness of human trafficking, including more training for those working with victims, and the creation of a specialist team to look at how victims can recover from trafficking.

Allan Doherty, Hope for Justice Director of Operations and former chief superintendent in Bradford, said: "The funding will pay for more legal experts, project workers and a county-wide anti-trafficking network made up of representatives from relevant frontline agencies. It will allow agencies to work together across West Yorkshire to combat human trafficking by rescuing and protecting victims and putting the culprits before the courts."

The money is part £12 million given out to PCCs nationally from victim surcharges and penalty notices.